Recipe for a delightful, relaxing 4th of July Holiday: Have no plans. Then, let the rest happen..... ____________________________________________ I think what I loved the most about this holiday is how unstressed I was but how much fun I had. I truly enjoyed myself. Because everything that happened was rather impromptu, there was no time to plan, or stress over planning. No time to scrub the house to make it perfect, just enough time to move a pile of junk from one spot to the next to accommodate more guests. It was great! I have to admit, there was a moment in which I thought "oh, if I had known we'd be eating here on the 4th, I would have laid out my red and white runner and bought some blue hydrangeas to put in a white vase and it would have looked so darling.... but then I snapped out of it and made a mental note to do it for next year. Maybe. Breakfast: My dad announced before going to bed that he was going to do breakfast and asked for the nearest grocery store. He headed there first thing in the morning and was busy stiring and mixing with Savvy at his side. I still have the most adorable picture in my head of Savannah in her jammies with her crazy hair standing on the chair she pushed up against the stove, also wearing her very own little apron, helping my dad cook. He was so sweet and patient with her, and indulged her in all her many requests to "stir this" or "pour that". We ate his famous buttermilk caramel syrup with french toast, hashbrowns, sausage and juice. Entertainment: For about half a second I entertained the thought of going to 7 Peaks, but then I thought about all the people who may have the same idea and suggested we stay and have the kids swim at my place. And swim they did. For 4 hours EASILY! We had to peel and pry them from the water for burgers. Which brings me to the next part of the afternoon: Lunch: All I did was arrange the backyard furniture and throw some grapes on the table and provide some condiments I had on hand. Jon manned the burgers, melody sliced the tomatoes, Someone provided chips and salsa and guacamole, and Dad mixed some drinks. More Entertainment: More swimming. Our little Ruby surprised me. Most afternoons when we swim, she either hangs out on my lap or in the exersaucer. Or, she is sleeping when we swim. This day she was squealing and fussing and was not too thrilled about being in the saucer. So, I changed her diaper, fed her some lunch, and thought that might make her happy. Once I brought her outside again by the pool, she was getting fiesty and wasn't happy. Finally, I picked up on the idea that maybe perhaps she was interested in getting in on the pool action. So I figured dipping her toes in the water would quench her curiosity and the temperature of the water would squelch any desire she had of getting in. What happened? She LOVED it. She wanted her entire BODY in the water. So I obliged and put her in her suit and in we went. The pool wasn't freezing, but it wasn't warm either. She hardly gasped played contentedly until she was blue and shivering 30 minutes later. And even then she didn't want to get out of the water. I was so expecting that one day I'd have to drag her to the water to enjoy herself, but this child dragged me out to the pool! Dessert: Melody brought some fixins for Patriotic Shortcake (Strawberries, blueberries and whipped cream of course!) It touched my heart she gave half of hers to Cade because he wanted seconds. :) Post Dessert: Nap. After dessert we bid farewell to family and I put the kids down for a late nap at 5pm, hoping this would help them enjoy the fireworks better. I took a nap myself. AT 8:20 I woke up to the phone ringing--- couldn't believe I slept that long. Even more, I couldn't believe my kids were STILL sleeping. I woke them up and we drove an entire 3 blocks away to see some amazing neighborhood fireworks. There was a huge spread of food and even a neighbor making snow cones for the kids! So sweet. Fireworks: Again, Ruby shocked me. I thought she would scream and cry in fear over the noise and the sight of fireworks. Not so. So long as I was holding her, she was happy to be watching them. They startled her a bit, but not enough to upset her. It was pretty cute. The fireworks show was great. Finally at 10:30 we headed home and tucked ourselves in bed. It was a great day. |
"I testify to you that God's hand has been in our destiny. I testify that freedom as we know it today is being threatened as never before in our history. I further witness that this land—the Americas—must be protected, its Constitution upheld, for this is a land foreordained to be the Zion of our God. He expects us as members of the Church and bearers of His priesthood to do all we can to preserve our liberty.
--Ezra Taft Benson, "A Witness and a Warning,", Ensign, Nov. 1979, 31 |
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